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Vance Pryor - A 5-Day Retreat with Weekend Option

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About this event

The Four Noble Truths: A 5-Day Practice Intensive With Vance Pryor

The Buddha's teaching on the Four Noble Truths is the foundation of the entire path of awakening — a clear, compassionate, and profoundly practical framework for understanding suffering and finding freedom. This 5-day intensive offers an opportunity to explore these teachings both intellectually and experientially, deepening our understanding through talks, guided meditations, question and response periods, and sustained practice.

Weekend Overview — Days 1 & 2
Registration for the Weekend Overview only will open April 12th.
There will be a Zoom option for registrants registering for the Weekend Overview only. In person attendance is not guaranteed for this option.

The retreat begins with a 2-day weekend program. Over these two days, we will lay the groundwork for the entire retreat, offering an overview of all Four Noble Truths — from the Buddha's radical invitation to turn toward dukkha, to the liberating recognition that there is a path leading to its end. We'll explore how these ancient teachings speak directly to our lived experience. The weekend is designed to be a complete and meaningful experience on its own for those who are unable to continue into the week.

Weekday Intensive — Days 3, 4 & 5

For those who wish to go deeper, the retreat continues with three additional days of in-person practice. Building on the foundation established over the weekend, these days offer a more immersive container — with extended sitting and walking meditation, further talks, and the support of practicing together in silence. We'll have the chance to revisit key themes from the weekend with greater subtlety, bringing particular attention to the Second and Third Noble Truths and what it means to directly investigate craving and release in our moment-to-moment experience. The quieter pace of these days allows the teachings to unfold in a more in-depth way.

Registrants attending all five days must attend in person.

No prior meditation experience is required for the weekend program. Some familiarity with meditation practice is recommended for the full 5-day retreat.

Vance Pryor, PsyD, began insight meditation in 1998. He has been deeply influenced by the teachings of Sayadaw U Tejaniya and Sayadaw U Pandita. His training to become a teacher has been supported by the mentorship of Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters. He is a recent graduate of the Insight Meditation Society's 2017-2021 Teacher Training Program.

For more information about Vance Pryor, please see vancepryor.com

When:
Weekend Overview Only:
  Saturday, May 16, 2026 9:00am - 4:00pm PDT
Sunday, May 17, 2026, 9:00am - 4:00pm PDT

5-Day Intensive Retreat:
Saturday, May 16, 2026 through Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Daily 9:00 AM - 4:00PM PDT

Where:

On Zoom: **An email with a link to the Retreat Home Page will be sent to all registrants the day before the retreat begins. The Retreat Home Page will include the Zoom link and other retreat details.

In-Person: In-person participation will take place at the White Heron Sangha Meditation Center in Avila Village behind the Woodstone Marketplace, near the Bob Jones Trail. Parking is alongside the buildings. Please do not park in front of the Woodstone Marketplace!

Dana: The teachings are offered freely. The retreat registration fee covers retreat expenses; none of the retreat fee goes to the teacher. Details on how to donate to the teacher and to support the White Heron Sangha will be provided at the retreat and will be on the retreat home page. We try to keep our retreat fees at a minimum so that you can be truly generous with your donation to the teacher. Plan on attending all days for which you are registered in order to fully appreciate the teachings.

Registration:

** Registration for the Weekend Overview will open on April 12th and closes on Friday, May 15th, at noon.

Registration For the 5-Day Retreat (The Weekend Overview plus the Week day Intensive) is now open: You must register online. Space is limited so early registration is encouraged.  Payment can be made by credit card, or you can send a check to White Heron Sangha, PO Box 313, Avila Beach, CA 93424. Pre-registration and payment are required. The registration fee will be refunded in full if notice of cancellation is received by May 1st. Registration for the 5-Day Retreat will close if the in-person capacity is reached. In that event a waitlist will be established for the 5-day Retreat only.

More Information:

More information about White Heron Sangha retreats

Tea and light snacks will be provided; please bring a cup. Retreatants will provide their own lunch. Chairs and meditation cushions will be available. You might want to bring a shawl and extra cushions, if you use them. No dogs are allowed in the building except for service dogs.

Date and Time

Saturday, May 16, 2026, 9:00 AM until Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 4:00 PM

Location

White Heron Sangha Meditation Center
6615 Bay Laurel Pl.
Avila Beach, CA 93424
USA

Event Contact(s)

Stephanie A Kolm

Registration Info

Registration is required before Friday, May 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Payment In Full In Advance Only

Capacity

40 Total Slots

Number of People Who Will Attend

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5-Day Retreat - Supporter Rate

$300.00

5-Day Retreat - Basic Rate

$250.00

5-Day Retreat - Reduced Rate

$200.00

Events - Event View

Vance Pryor - A 5-Day Retreat with Weekend Option

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